Stabilizing means for aeroplanes.



T. L. WHITE.

summzme MEANS FOR AEBOPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV, 9, 1911. 1,01 8,400. Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

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vT. L. WHITE.

STABILIZING MEANS FOR AEBOPLANES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1911.

1,018,400. Patented Feb, 20, 1912'.

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Tolall whom it may UNITED STATES mom LOUGE wnrrn, 01' mm Yonx, n. Y.

s'ranmzmo mums ron. anaormns.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

concern: I

Be it known that I, Tnonas Loner: Wnrrn, a subject of King Geor e V, and resident of 50 Church street, New ork cit county of'New York, State of New Yor have invented certain new and useful Im-' provements in Stabilizing Means for 'Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

The essence of the art of aviation so faras heavier than air flying machines are concerned, and in its present state of develop-- ment, lies in the employment of reliable, automatic means functioning to regulate or to prevent sudden tiltingof the apparatus; andv in suction-producing devices, such for ex ample as the Venturi tube, truncated cones arranged co-axially in series, or any equivalent injector or e ector device; wherein, b constriction of the interior diameter of Sue device, the velocit of moving air therein is. increased and its internal fluid pressure decreased. Takin the Venturi tube as a practical example 0 this class of apparatus, and arranging these tubes in manner to engage a'current of air in the direction 0 posed to that of flight, I am enabled, throng the suction force created, to automatically control the deflection of the elevating plane of aeroplanes, and to maintain forward flight either with or without the ower of the motor. Similarly, by the utilization of Venturi. tubes, arranged at right angles to the lateral or su porting planes, and conveniently disposed n or near the locus of the centersof ressure thereof, 1- amenabl'ed, due to the giflerence in pressures exertedupon the upand lower surfaces of the planes, to utithe suction force created bysaid Venturi tubes, and, through .said difference in pressure, inconjunction with other interconnectmg actuating means, to adjust the ailerons or wings in counteracting the tilting influence'due to local variations .of the net upwardly directed the planes.

In the dra whichare diagrammatic in character-,e 1 indicates, in per- Specification of Letters Patent. Application and November a, 1011. Serial llo. seam.

pressure which supports members enabling the control of the plane through thesuction force of said tube; Fig. 2 is a ongitudinal section of a Venturi tube; Fig. 3 is' a diagrammatic layout of support- -ing planes, Venturi tubes therefor actuating with piston connections to actuate the suporting planes or ailerons thereof, and enturi tubes disposed in the direction of flight to operate said pistonthrough said trigger-valve means; and Fig. 4 .indicates supporting planes with Venturi tubes, an intermediate. U-shaped tube containing mercury, and electrical conn'ections,'the mercury closing an electrical circuit: as it rises in either leg of the tube.

Dealing firstwith the control of the elevating plane or planes, we find, in Fig. 1, a partial view of a plane, as 1, disposed hori- *zontally, as for horizontal forward .flight. For descri tive urposes the axis of this plane is in icate at 2, and said plane may there be provided with a spring, whose tension is exerted to tilt' downwardly the forward edgeof said plane. A connector or connectors 3 between said plane or spring, and a piston 4' in dash ot or cylinder 5, moves said piston outwar ly with the downward tilt of the planeas is obvious. A Venturi tube,- as 6 (or a plurality thereof),- is

in any suitable manner axiall in the irection of flight, andhence axia ly in parallelism with the elevating'plane when the latter 'is set for horizontabmotion; or said Venturi tube may be pivotally supported and connected with the elevatlng plane to tu with cylinder 5, behind the piston, and a spring, "as 8, within said cylinder, serves as a seat for the piston. Assuming) a developed speed of miles an hour to e requisite to sustain horizontal flight,.an d assum the various parts of the apparatus to be suitablly- 'roportioned and arranged, the result wi lhe as follows: At the stated speed the air pressure'through the Venturi tube will create a suction force at the constricted force, operating ugh pipe "I, will pull piston 5 to its seat upon ring 8, said piston, in that position,

hor zontally against thetension of the plane a trigger-valve control'cylinder, a cylinder remain always inparallelism therewith. A- pi e, as 7, connects the neck of the Venturi gigtion of said tube which spective, a part ofan elevating plane, a Ven: ,turi tube, dash pot, and. interconnecting.

disposed and supported by the aero lane o ding the plane a 20 V a resumption of the normal engine speed of s ring. When, through any cause, as the s ackening or sto ping of the motor; or, that the 'suctionfbrce exerted at the neck of the Venturi tube is lessened, then the piston, thus released, rises in its cylinder under the tension of the plane spring, which of course at the same time tilts the plane downwardly. In the acceleration of speed of the aeroplane while falling, the suction exerted at the neck of the Venturi tube increases proportionately, thus drawing the piston to its spring seat in the cylinder, the plane in consequence coming back to the horizontal direction of fli ht; or,if the speed of descent has developed %eyo'nd30 miles an hour, the suction effect will be greater and will cause. the plane to beupwardly tilted,

the piston in that act descending farther into its cylinder and-retracting the spring seat therein. Stabilization follows under 30. miles an hour with the plane again horizontal; or, in the case of a glider, the apparatus makes a series of gradual downward and upward steps. The operator, also using his hand control to tilt upwardly the elevating plane, thus depressing the piston against its spring seat, may enter. different afltmlpspheric strata and thereby prolong n .considering the adaptability of my invention to the automatic control of the.

ailerons or sup orting planes, reference --is directed to the fiyout in Fig. 3, wherein 11," 12 respectively indicate op Osite portions ateral supportin sur ace or surfaces, oppositely disposed wit respect to the situation of the power cylinder. .One or a numberof Venturi tubes 13 are placed with their axes at right angles to said planes, conveniently disposed in or near loci of centers of pressure, whereby the potential difierence in pressure in the upwardly and downwardly exerted pressures acting on said lateral planes or plane parts, is effective toward the performance of 'a certain func- -'--tion, to wit: Piping 14 connects the necks of said Venturi tubes with opposite sides of a piston 15 in a cylinder 16, springs 17,'at each side of said piston balancin 'it normally centrally within said cylin er; Pisw ton rods 18, 19, extending from opposite 1- respectively,

sides of the piston, actuate, each when moving an op osite" direction, the triggers 20,21, respectlvely, said triggers serving to open and close three-way valves 22,- 23, to control communication,

through pipes 24, 25 between Venturi tubes 26, 27, and opposite ends of a cylinder 28,

by cutting out from either side of iston 29 communication with'the' correspon mg Ventube, and at thesame time opening direct communication'with the atmosphere, through, an outlet which is wholly or partially open when the'pipe'24 or 25 is wholly having.

'26, 27 are arranged axiall in the direction 'of flight, and, respective y, through their pipes 24, 25, with the opening of valves 22,

23, serve by their suction force to exhaust the air from both sides of 'piston .29..-IF or example, if the efiective pressure supporting plane 12 is from any cause diminished, thecorresponding rate of flow through Venturi tube 13 is lessened, as alsofthe suction exerted along pipe 14. There is a rise of pressure on one slde the pistolifgl5 which is effective in "moving over said" 'iston away from the 'region where the e; supporting pressure is lower. thereby operated to cut out pipe 25 and. to

piston 29 on which it is located. 'The excess of pressure forces over piston 29, which movement is effective, through rods 32, 33 and the intervening mechanism, (not shown) in operating the microns. The operation is repeated, reversely, when the efl'ective .pressure under plane -11 is diminished. The essential feature of the mechanism is that it. functions in response to any diifer'ence beective wing- Valve 21- is admit atmospheric air directly to the side of tween the wing supporting effective pressures under the oppositely disposed wing surfaces 11 and 12. Itis therefore immaterial whether the actual cause of "a differencein these efiect'ivepressures be an excessor a defect in either of them.

In F i 4 I show supporting planes 34, enturi tubes 35, connecting, as by pipes 36, with a U-shaped tube-v37, containing mercury. An increase or defectin pressure at one plane will render unequal the. pressures acting on 'themercury. V TIhemercury will rise in one'le 'of the tube and fall in the other and'w' thus become illstrumental in closing an electrical circuit,

whereby, through a vsource'of energy, (not, shown) the'control maybe governed. Ob} viously, gravity in the flow of themercury Wlll be an assisting factor in making contacts in the respective legs of the U tube as aeroplane.

said. tube tips with the'lateral tilting of the In. he practlce of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the particularmechanical' devices referred to .as intermediate the source of suction force and the moving plane members, believing it to be broadly new with'me to employ suction devices for creat' the force with which to automatically control or stabilize aeroplanes in flight. I therefore reserve the rightto modify or re- 'amnge said mechanical deviow, or to sub stitute equivalent means therefor, all within the spu'ita'nd scope of my invention to adapt tubes in the 'subjoined claims I intend arbil tra y to include any equivalent-or suitable suction producing device. I claim 1. In an aeroplane havmgf anindependently movable part, a Venturi tube disposed axially in manner to create a suction force 7 during flight, and means utilizing said force in the control of said movable part.

2. In an aeroplane a Venturi tube disposed axially in the irection of flight, and means utilizing the suction force thereof in controlling the elevating plane.

3. In an aeroplane, an elevating plane, tensional means to normall deflect said plane downwardly, a Venturi tube disposed axiall in the direction of flight, and means directing the suction forcev of said Venturi tube to counteract the influence of ,said'tem sional means.

4. In an a'eroplane,'an elevating plane,'tensiona'l means to normally deflect said plane downwardly, a c linder having a iston connected with sai plane, a Venturi tube disosed axiall in the line of flight, means tween said? cylinder and the Venturi tube permitting the suction force from the latter to counteract the influence of the tensional' means upon. the plane, and means whereby the suctionforce .mayovercome said tenring seat in said cylpiston, m use under conditions 1 mder for sai cylinder, said means comprising sional .means and deflect theQplane up-' 'therem having connection with said plane, wherebygthe suction force of said Venturi counteracts the influence of said-tensional meansi and a sp verselythe'reto in the locus-of the center of.

pressure, an aileron, and means ut' the suction force from said Venturi tube to control operating means to adjust said aileron.

havi ailerons and warping connections there or, a cylinder, a piston balanced therein, and connections between said piston and said warping connections, a air of Venturi tubes disposed axially in fli ht, and pipes connecting said Venturi tu s respectively with said cylinderat-o posite sides of its piston; together wit three-way valves in said pipes and means" for. operating said valves separately toclose said pipes and admit atmospheric air to said a piston balanced in a cylinder,'valve triggers, and connections from-said piston to actuate said triggers; separately, Venturi tubes disposed transversely in said an orting plane, 'and' pipes connecting. said venturi tubes with sald cylinder at op 'te sides of the piston. 8.,In an 'aerop ane, lateral suppor g planes, a'Venturi tube-disposedtransversely 76 in each plane,a source of energy, connec- .tions between the source of energy and the plane ailerons, and means enablingtheslwtion force in either Venturi. tube to cause a said sourceof energy to adjust the to stabilize the aerop ane laterally.

a Signed at the borough of Manhatta in? the .city, count and tate of New 'ork this 8th da 0 November, A.'D. 1911. HOMAS LOUGH WHITE. Witn':

SAnmRSmn-nan,"

7. In an aeroplane, a supporting plane at 0 direction of 60 v 

